Tag Archive for: Local SEO

Scottsdale SEO – How NAP Affects Your Local SEO

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The mobile usage has exceeded the desktop usage since 2015. The change of device and the change of the number of devices could affect the user’s behavior. This becomes a problem to the local businesses because when a user changes from one device to another, their search experience will also differ.

The thing is… Google’s algorithms apply the user’s current location to their directory listing. They check if the existing record coincides with your business listing.  NAP, an acronym for Name, Address, and Phone, affects your business’ rankings.

Group of Men and Women Smiling While Looking at Phone

What we have learned here? It’s not only Google that checks for NAPs. People use online directories too! If they’re hungry, they’ll surely search for the nearest pizza place and call the number right away.

The start of the transaction.

Contrary to popular belief, business transaction does not happen during the first inquiry via social media, or when someone ordered at the company website. Take a step back because it’s earlier than that.

According to Google, the start actually happens when…

  • someone used a search engine (Google, Bing, Ask!)
  • someone visited the actual store.
  • someone visited the official website or app.
  • someone browsed a related website or app.
  • someone used an online map service like Google Maps.

These five actions will most likely lead to purchase or a positive reaction from the user. The moment they see your business on the SERPs (or search results pages), expect an offline visit within the day. When a business is searched online, as much as 78% of the users ended up visiting its physical store.

This is why having a consistent NAP is important to your business’ success. The transaction won’t be completed if the given store address or phone number is wrong.  The correct information should be provided for the users online for their intent to progress.

Wrong Assumptions.

The problem is… we conclude right away that customers know our company website, our order page, our business listing. They will figure it out!

Nope, they won’t. Not everyone will figure out your official pages in just a click. People will ask their friends and visit a lot of other websites before they get to you.

This is why a lot of pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram make an effort to verify certain businesses. Because they don’t want people to be lost and transact with a fake page, social media sites are making sure to highlight legitimate businesses over unverified ones.

Be a part of the journey.

This is the perfect opportunity to make a great first impression. On all your official pages, be sure to indicate a uniform name, address, and phone number. Whether it’s on your website, Yelp, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, the NAPs provide should be consistent.

Wherever the user decides to search for you, you are certain that they will NOT go astray. Besides, even if you are not the user’s first choice, they will still consider you as one of their options in the future because you are easy to find and you are active on different social media accounts.

Do not be like the other lazy local pages out there that offer no help at all. Lend a helping hand by providing accurate answers to the user’s inquiry.

Scottsdale SEO – Common Reasons for Inconsistent NAP

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We all know that there’s a constant for NAP consistency. It is after all as important as typing the correct email address or URL. Inconsistent NAP would mean no conversion. You would not be able to invite new customers because the name, address, and phone number.

People Using Smartphones

Phone numbers are there for customers to call you so answer them.

What could be the reasons for these inconsistencies?

Many factors could cause these NAP inconsistencies. It could be because of human error, changes in the hierarchy of the business, and other unforeseen circumstances. Mainly, these are the reasons:

  • Changing the mailing address and NOT updating the existing directories.
  • Having 2 different addresses. One could be the corporate office and one could be the actual store address.
  • Giving different phone numbers. One could be a direct line and one may possibly be a referral number.

The instances posted above could affect your business’ local SEO, and it also affects your reputation. Your customers will cite it as a terrible experience because there were so many steps just to get the correct contact number and store address.

Ultimately, this will not make customers happy. This will eventually lead to loss of sales and damage to your brand.

Answers should be quick when asking for things like name, address, and phone number. Social media accounts ask for these details. You should complete these important details whether it’s on Facebook, Yelp, Instagram, and so on. If it’s not asked, highlight your NAP on your short bio.

Different directories.

Some businesses provide different numbers. They do this because they want to track how many inquiries/orders were on this number, that number. Not only that, some phone numbers are unique because they are solely used for marketing calls. So, if you called a particular number, and no one is answering, it’s probably reserved for outgoing calls only.

  • The upside: The business can gauge the results of their marketing strategies
  • The downside: Varying contact numbers would mean an inconsistent NAP.  Also, Google could list it as two different businesses and only one is correct. Customers have no time to play guessing games here. Is it a, b, or c? Whatever! They will just abandon it altogether.

Online Blinds.

  • This happens when users are faced with choosing from different options. For example, one company posted two addresses and two different numbers. It’s utterly confusing! Imagine, they have to exert extra time and effort just to transact with the company. Such a hassle!
  • Others do it as a ruse. They want to avoid prank calls and marketing calls. Yes, it is effective in preventing spam calls to reach you. Too bad, it also prevents customers to reach you.

It’s a Google thing!

Google uses a different algorithm compared to other search engines because it heavily relies on the current location of its user.

Of course, business would be easy if you have an actual store located at the right place, but it does not mean online stores are hopeless. You can still feature local products on your website. Just remember Google’s search guideline:

  • Main Content.
  • Supporting Content.

For example, you are in Arizona and you are looking for landscaper for your garden. So, when searching, Google identifies your inputted information as:

  • “landscaper” You are looking for a landscaper.
  • “in Arizona” Your location will be support element. This means that you are looking for landscaper in or near Arizona.

In short, the main keyword should show the product or service. The user’s location is then added as a supporting element to the query.

Scottsdale SEO – 4 Useful Tips in Simplifying Content

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As a content writer, I always try to create a blog post that’s easy for you guys to understand. However, simplifying content is not as easy as it seems. I need to explain things in the simplest manner, and at the same time, I should make it entertaining for you to not leave the page so quickly.

Person viewing a website on a tablet

simplifying content for your readers.

Mostly, it’s up to the writer to shed some light into some complicated topics. Still, there are other things to consider aside from writing, there’s the influence of the on-page SEO elements, the layout, and the audiovisual aspect. Skillful writing is useless without the right elements. So, you need to find the right combination of brilliant writing and magnificent layout. Here’s my attempt in helping you simplify the difficult:

  • Tip #1: Say no to highfalutin words.
    • Keep things simple and uncomplicated. If you feel like a word is too complex, try using a simpler synonym. Inserting jargon into the equation will just encourage the readers to click away.
    • Your goal, as a writer, should be able to use plain language in describing situations. Relate your examples to real-life experience so your readers can identify with your article.
    • Of course, you can’t just ignore all the jargons, right? Try to keep the numbers minimal. The lesser the jargon, the better. If you need help finding a simpler word, try consulting an online thesaurus.
  • Tip #2: Add sugar, and spice… and everything nice!
    • No, we are not making The PowerPuff Girls here, but we are trying to make your writing more exciting. So, how do we do that?
    • Add your own personality. Don’t try to be William Shakespeare because you are not William Shakespeare. You will end up boring your readers because that’s not you!
    • Be excited with what you’re doing. If there’s a part of you that can relate to the topic, don’t hesitate to add your personal anecdotes. It makes the difficult topics more bearable and more readable.
    • In order to share more stories, you need to read more. Google Trends will keep you up-to-date on latest happenings. Before you know it, you have stumbled upon another interesting topic to blog about.
  • Tip #3 Active voice over passive voice.
    • Active voice is clearer because the subject does the action. Here’s an example for you:
      • Active: Sandy read the book. Passive: The book was read by Sandy.
    • In the given example, the first sentence is better because it is easier to understand. It comes in handy when you are writing about the covalent bonds, quantum mechanics, and other complicated things.
  • Tip #4 Keep your images simple, too.
    • Just because we need colorful visuals do not mean that we would go crazy and choose all the colors of the rainbow.
    • Yes, images help entice web visitors. However, don’t get too excited. Like your words choices, use uncomplicated images. Stick to a certain color palette that works for your website!
    • If you are going to share a result of a study, a pie simple chart will do. Compare and contrast the result of your research without too much fuss. You don’t need to draw elaborate borders and charts to prove your point.

Scottsdale SEO – How to Make a Great Landing Page?

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Woman Browsing the Landing Page of a Website

Woman Browsing the Landing Page of a Website

Designing a landing page is not writing a monologue. You are talking to an audience and you want them to purchase something. So, you need to real smooth and easy. Check out the tips below on how to make an effective homepage that gets your points crossed.

  • Nope, it’s not the designer. When planning a landing page, you probably think you should talk to the designer ASAP regarding the interface, images, and all the stunning visuals. I’m telling you it’s not. There’s something more important: it is the content.
  • The landing page should be able to send out a clear message. The goal here is to sound more human and less generic. Talk directly to your audience and make it personal.
  • The writing should be able to get a reaction. They should feel something. When they do, they willing sign up, purchase, or do practically anything you wish.
  • Word choices should appeal to them. Perhaps, you current landing page is just not enough. They probably don’t even bother to scroll down.
  • The millennials go for landing pages with fewer words and more banners. There’s a need for you to concise without sound too common.
  • Don’t be just another landing page. Show them what makes you unique through your personalized content.
  • Gain their trust.  You are a stranger to your web visitors. They don’t know you so don’t expect them to click that “add to cart” button. There’s a huge barrier between you and your potential customers. You need to earn their trust, and you need to do it quickly.
  • They wouldn’t believe you; they would only be convinced if someone is backing you up. Testimonials from your previous customers are perfect examples. Reading reviews of other people will help your web visitors trust you. Let the 5-star reviews do the talking.
  • Negative space is not bad. Don’t overwhelm first-time visitors with too much information. Instead, let them focus on a thing or two.
  • Empty spaces help them think clearly so don’t bombard your landing page with clutter. Before you say it, let me stop you. Nope, they’re not boring. In fact, embracing negative space makes your landing page easy to look at.
  • It sends an important message that you aren’t forcing your web visitors to purchase. You are giving them time to think and make their own decision.
  • It’s moving! For humans, it’s easy to spot a moving object. You can’t not notice an animation when visiting a website. This is why adding videos on your landing page can greatly increase conversions. (If you need tips regarding this topic, it’s all here!)
  • So, if you want to gain your web visitors immediate attention, add some animation or a video presentation.
  • The pretty face behind the company. Lastly, your landing page should include a human face. People are generally nosy. When you feature an image of a malfunctioning computer, they will completely ignore it. However, if you highlight a person looking a person looking devastated because of the malfunctioning computer, they will definitely click it because they are utterly nosy human beings. So, feed their curious minds!
  • A simple smile can make a huge difference. Adding a human element makes your landing page more relatable and more susceptible to clicks.

Scottsdale SEO – Ways to Improve Your Landing Page Conversions (Part 2)

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Woman Viewing the Landing Page Using Macbook

Woman Viewing the Landing Page Using a Macbook

Years ago, featuring a video on the landing page was just mere novelty. Now, it’s not just for “beautification” purposes because adding videos on the landing page helps increase conversion. As much as 80% of the web visitors are converted through the aid of a video presentation. That’s a huge turnaround! Why does it work? What’s the magic formula? For starters, many people are too lazy to read, and they want someone to explain and summarize the product features for them. Let me help you do the same for your website. Read the tips below:

GET TO THE POINT!

THUMBNAILS ARE IMPORTANT, TOO.

  • The question now is… how do we make a compelling video?  What will keep the web visitors engaged? Another important factor, aside from the content of the video, is the thumbnail. In fact, it invites people to click that play button. The chances of it getting noticed increases by 15 percent. It would be a shame to just ignore the help of the thumbnails.
  • Here are some examples of an effective thumbnail:
    • A sneak peek of the video. It should reflect the overview of the whole thing. Insert a text on what was discussed on the video.
    • Show feelings. Whether the thumbnail showcase a smiling or shocked expression, there should be an obvious emotion so people will be curious enough to play the video.
    • A close-up shot. There should be a person face on the thumbnail. It makes the video less robotic and more relatable.

BE CONSISTENT.  

  • When creating video presentations, remember your color, font, and style choices. You should be consistently using the same thing. That way, people can immediately associate the style with your brand. They can recall your brand immediately the moment they play the video.
  • Don’t forget to add a watermark of your logo or your official website in all your videos. Whether they are watching an intro video or a tutorial video, interested customers will know where to go in order to learn more about the product or service.

APPLY CLOSED CAPTIONING (CC) TO YOUR VIDEOS.

  • Closed captioning or subtitling is helpful to people watching. They are provided the transcript of the video. That way, they wouldn’t be replaying a scene over and over.
  • Adding subtitles is necessary especially if you are introducing new terms. It provides clarity. People watching won’t be constantly asking for the words uttered. This is particularly helpful when you are using jargon or highfalutin words in your video presentation. The terminologies won’t seem so foreign now. They will stick around because they learned something from you.

Now that you have the tips, you obviously need an excellent video editing software to apply them all. Well, you can hire a professional to record the video and edit it for you. However, doing it on your own allows you customize and change it the way you want.

Scottsdale SEO – SEO Trends This 2019! (Part 2)

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If you enjoyed reading the SEO trends on the last post, here are more tips you might want to apply:

What do THEY want?

  • No matter how AMAZING your work is, if the content you are providing is NOT for them, it is NEVER going to work. It is imperative to know what your audience wants. Know what they want to know!
  • Do they prefer video tutorials? Do they want fashion tips? It is YOUR task to find out what content they like. Also, you have to know if they prefer the information through video, through blog posts, or through images and infographics.
  • Your users are on your website because they WANT something. Be sure you are able to answer them in the easiest way. This is never about you; it is all about your audience so know what they like and how they like it.

High-Quality Content.

  • If you are posting content just to FILL an empty space, you are going to fail miserably. Your audiences aren’t dumb. Besides, Google is now focusing on how to detect quality and depth in different websites. SEO performance of websites with exceptional content has greatly increased throughout 2018.
  • So, this 2019, be sure to provide content that can actually solve a problem. Research on what is “IN” and work around it. If you think there should be more about beauty, then, create makeup tutorials of your own fashion line. Perhaps, you can also mix and match your product line and other popular brands. That way, you can introduce your products subtly introduce your products.
  • Go on and guide the user through a series of blog posts. Give them quick and easy tips that will help them get through the day.
  • Excellent results will only materialize if you exert the same effort on sharing content. Think carefully what you will post. Make sure it has substance before you click publish.
Laptop, notes, and plan

Plan carefully what to post and learn from these SEO trends

Remember to E-A-T.

  • EAT means expertise, authority, and trustworthiness, and these are important points in Google’s search guidelines. This is another trend that you have to closely monitor. Don’t just blabber what you know and your expertise. Welcome guest writers, too.
  • You can invite experts to share their opinion on your website. Do not rush because you will eventually be recognized authority in a particular field. Take one step at a time and focus on your audience first.
  • Being trustworthy is consulting the right experts for the subject. You aren’t the only expert in town. Be more collaborative this 2019, and listen to what other people has to say. Learn and apply them when producing content.

Stop relying on Google.

  • 2019 could be anyone’s game. This year, try to include other search engines as well. Do not just enhance your website for Google. That’s what SEO is all about. Know what people are looking for and giving it to them. Know what generates an action from your audience and not just give them a link your website.
  • Apps are popular nowadays. You need to make sure you are visible in the different app stores, too. Not just that! Videos and podcasts also have a huge following. The top brands are multi-faceted, and they just don’t focus on gaining a high-ranking website. You should do the same!

Scottsdale SEO – SEO Trends This 2019! (Part 1)

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It’s 2019! What do you think is “IN” and “OUT” for SEO this year? Here are some SEO trends you need to know ASAP!

Strategize what SEO trends suit your business!

Strategize what SEO trends suit your business!

Apply On-Page Optimization.

  • On-page optimization is still an important trend and I don’t think it will go away because it proves to be helpful to users.
  • Here is a list of website optimizations:
    • Allocate an FAQ page to answer common questions.
    • Searching the website should NOT be a chore. Make sure the search box is visible to everyone and it can give pertinent results.
    • Provide that repeat customers can replenish often bought items simply.
    • Customer support can answer questions that have to do with the business.
    • Think of using the chatbots to reduce the load for the primary, usual questions and procedural tasks.
    • Users will have an easy time to navigate and go to other physical locations.
    • Furnish the users in the different stages of the fulfillment funnel.

Prepare for Voice Search.

  • When a new thing comes up, people will guess that it will reach its peak on a certain year just like what happened to mobile phones. Everybody was saying it will be a hit in a certain year, but it never happened. However, in 2015, it finally happened! Undoubtedly, that year was the year for mobile phones!
  • Are we saying that this is the year of the voice search? Hold it real quick. Not really. Companies are looking for its possibility next year even if it has gained enough attention last year.
  • Actually, it has already started giving answers to certain areas, and it was proven to be useful. However, it has not been said that it is useful in attaining the goal for complicated questions. For example, when a user wants an in-depth comparison of different products.
  • Marketers should be aware that when using a voice response there are NO translators. This means that the voice will vary according to its current location and social class. Despite that, it could be a game changer.
  • Marketers should be aware that voice response cannot be done by a human or machine translator. It can also vary from one country to another, one dialect to another similar dialect, and more.

Observe Machine Learning.

  • One credible person in the industry stated that machine learning will burst this year as it has an impact on search. This recent technology runs on data from users.
  • Businesses shouldn’t just observe.  They should also use machine learning to build a different content for SEO that starts with bringing into the data based on particular variables. This, along the required analysis, reporting, experimenting, and implementing, will surely help you know your failures and successes.

Enhance Featured Snippets and Google SERP Features.

  • It’s important to optimize for your own website, and to optimize for Google browsing experience this year.
  • Do everything and provide quality content. Sharing your answers, tables, graphs, research will be vital for a more natural surge of traffic. This way, you will be more visible in different SERPs and you will gain more clicks because you provide knowledge.
  • Feature boxes that are helpful for the users like “word for the day,” or “quick tips for the day.” Provide help to users by explaining highfalutin vocabulary. This could result to a sharp increase in traffic.
  • This only mean that Google search features and optimizing featured snippets will remain to be a vital tendency this 2019!